Rubber-cushion draft gear for railroad cars



June 1 1 926. I 1,586,531

F. L. LIPCOT RUBBER cusnxou DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed June 6,1924 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 ,g mymlmmmm s F NV TOR WM June 1 1 926.

, 5. 1.. LIPCOT- RUBBER CUSHION DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed Jun}6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IgQVE TOR g %wm Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. LIPCOT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATICNAL MOTOR COH-IPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

aunnizaousmon DRAFT GEAR FOR mrjnoan cans.

Application filed 'J'une 6, 1924. Serial No.- 718,193.

This invention relates to shock absorbing mechanism and moreparticularly to draft gear for railroad cars of the kind in which theshocks incident to buffing or draft are cushioned by resilient elements.According to the present invention blocks of yielding non-metallicmaterial serve as the resilient elements in the draft gear to absorb andcushion the shocks.- More particularly, blocks of rubber are interposedbetween the vehicle frame and the draw bar. to which the coupling headis secured and these blocks are retained under internal static pressurewhereby the stren h, resiliency and wearing qualities of t e blocks areincreased.

The invention also resides in the construction and arrangement of theparts which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into eifect the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferredembodiments thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan and partly in section of the draft gearaccording to the present invention as ap lied tothe frame of a railwayvehicle and ooking from bel'ow.

Figureg is a view in end elevation of the draft gear taken in a planethrough the supporting frame indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view somewhat similar to Figure 1 but showinga modification of the invention in which the operative parts areenclosed as a protection against foreign matter. g

.Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the modified constructiontaken on the plane indicated by the line H in Figure 3 and looking inthe direction of the arrows. Figure *5 is a view in end elevation of themodified draftgear taken in the plane through the supporting andenclosing frame indicated by the line 55 in Figure 4 and looking in-thedirection of the arrows.

In the drawings a draw bar a of c'onven tional shape may be formed atits outer end at the rear of the device and is adapted tov be connectedat its ends to the coupling rods In the preferred construction thecoupling rods will be threaded at their ends into clevises c whereof thebifurcated ends are apertured-to receive pins b disposed in appropriateapertures in the keys I), 6', respectively, with their heads I) engagingthe lower arm of the clevis and the end of their shanks which extendbeyond the upper arms of the clevises secured in operative position inany convenient manner as by cotter pins 6 Midway between the twocoupling rods 0 is a third coupling rod (1 threaded atits rear end in aclevisc' in the same manner as that of the neighboring coupling rods butthreaded at its forward end into a bifurcated yoke cl whereof the armsextend on opposite sides of the shank of the draw bar and are slotted asat d for the reception of the key 6.

Carried with the center sills e of the vehicle are slotted guides f, f,for the reception of the keys 6, b, respectively, to permit limitedmotion in a fore and aft direction to the draw bar and its associatedparts. Substantially midway between the ends of the connecting rods 0and d are separators g secured in any convenient manner as by bolts tothe center sills e and formed with apertures g for the passage of thecoupling rods. Also carried rigidly with the center sills .'e and nearthe ends of the coupling rods are rider plates h slotted "rear endthereof. Motion of these caps in respect to the coupling rods in onedirection is prevented by means of the nuts k, is, respectively, whichare threaded onto the coupling rods whereby an adjustment in theirrelative s aced relation may be obtained.

' Between t e separators g and the caps 71, 2",

are disposed blocks of yielding non-metallic material Z, Z, the block Zbetween cap 2' and separator g and the block l between the separator.and the cap 71'. These blocks are preferably retained between seats 9formed on the separators and seats 6 formed on the caps. The nuts k, k,serve'to draw the caps 73, 2', together after the gear is in assembledrelation whereby the rubber blocks may be placed under initial internalstatic pressure to thereby increase the resiliency, strength and wearingqualities of the rubber. The blocks of rubber are preferably formed witha central bore through which the coupling rods extend and this bore maybe tapered and the blocks so disposed between the caps that the end ofthe bore of greater diameter is adjacent the respective caps. In eachinstance the tapered face serves to facilitate the distortion of theblock in a regular manner whereby the effecting diameter of the boreremains uniform for the unimpeded movement of the connectorstherethrough.

It is thought that the operation of the device will be apparent from theforegoing description. It will be noted that when the gear is underdraft the pull impressed upon the coupling head and draw bar will betransmitted through the key 6, coupling rods 0, d and caps 2" to theblocks of rubber Z and from thence to the vehicle through the separatorsg, the blocks Z being placed under further compression to cushion andabsorb the shocks and stresses incident to draft. In buffing thestresses are transmitted in the opposite direction through the couplingrods 0, d, caps 2' and blocks Z to the separators g and vehicle frame. Amodified construction of the draft gear is illustrated in Figures 3, atand 5. In the modilied construction the draw bar and front and reartransverse keys 6, b, respectively, are the same as those alreadydescribed. The keys are slidably supported in center sills 6 formed withslots f, 7, respectively. In place of the central connecting rod (1,however, a unitary structure D is provided having forwardly extendingslotted arms d to receive the key I). At its rear end connector D issecured to the rear key I) by.

means of pin 6 Upon opposite sides of the connector I) and connectingthe keys are connectors C secured as in the previous example by means ofthe pins 6 The three connectors are formed with rectangular openings m,n, respectively. Telescoping seats 0, 0', are disposed within each ofthe rectangular apertures, as shown clearly in Figure at, and a float phaving opposed seats 10 is disposed within the member 0, blocks ofyielding non-metallic material 9, g being inserted between the float pand the telescoping elements 0 and 0, respectively. The blocks when thegear is assembled in operative conditions are retained under internalstatic pressure as in the preferred construction. The modified device issupported between upper and lower plates 7", 1", respectively, securedin any convenient manner to the center sills e and serves to enclose thegear'to a degree as a protection against foreign mat ter. Secured to theplates and to the frame members are suitable stops 8, 8, against whichthe telescopingelements 0, 0, bear and whereby their motion in thelongitudinal direction of the draft gear is limited. The operation ofthe modified draft gear is substantially identical with that previous lydiscussed. The draft stresses impressed upon the draw bar aretransmitted through the key 6 and the connectors C and l) to the rearkey I) and to the rearwardly disposed telescoping member 0 and from thelast namedmember forwardly through the rubber blocks g, float 3?, rubberblock 9 and telescoping member 0 to the stop 8 carried with the framewhich in turn is carried with the vehicle. In buffing the stresses aretransmitted in the opposite direction through the draw bar, front key I)and connectors C and D to the telescoping member 0 and from thence tothe block 9, float p, block 9 and telescoping member 0 to theabutment-s.

. The present draft gear is applicable in any situation, such as uponrailway equipment,

-where bufling or draft stresses are to be cushioned or absorbed. By theconstruction described and with the yielding nonmetallic blocks asillustrated a minimum fore and aft pull of 400,000 pounds or higher maybe taken on the blocks before the gear closes solid, the quality anddimensions of the blocks being varied to meet conditions of load. i

What I claim is:

1. In draft gear, in combination with center sills carried on thevehicle, a draw bar, a transverse key secured to the bar and slidable inthe sills, a plurality-of rods connected to the key, slidable andmovable pivotally in the sills, a key secured to the rods and slidablein the sills, opposed seats carried with the rods, opposed seats carriedwith the sills, and yielding non-metallic material operativelyinterposed between the seats under compression.

2. In draft gear, in combination with center sills carried with avehicle, a draw bar, a; transverse key secured to the draw bar andslidable in the sills, a second transverse key slidable in the sills,connectors secured at their ends to the keys, respectively, and slidablein the sills, opposed seats carried with the connectors, opposed seatscarried with the sills, and blocks of yielding nonmetallic materialhaving respectively tapering bores through which the connectors extendand disposed respectively between the co-operating seats, the leastdiameterof the bore being adjacent the'seats carried with the sills.

8. In draft gear, in combination with center sills carried with thevehicle, a draw bar having a slotted shank, a transverse key passingthrough the slot in the shank, a second transverse key, a plurality ofconnecting rods between the keys slidable in the sills, opposedadjustable seats carried with the connecting rods, opposed seats carriedwith the sills and disposed between said first mentioned seats, andblocks of yielding non-metallic material interposed between therespective seats on thesills and rods and formed with a tapering borere- "the sills.

spectively through which the rods extend, the blocks being disposedwiththe least diameter of the bore adjacent the seat on 4; Incon'ihination with a draw bar and 'center sills of a vehicle, keysslidable in the sills, rods connecting the keys, opposed seats vcarriedby the sills androds through which of the draw bar, keys and rods abouta section through the adjacent ends of the blocks of each pair. v

Tl's specification signed this 4 day of June A. D. 1924. FRED 'L,LIPCOT.

